Is there a passage from the Delaware River to NY harbor?

[Hudson Force]

Originally Posted by skipmac

T............ One question, your OI41 only draws about 4.5' I think. What was the depth like from your recollection? OK for a deeper draft?

My draft is 4'3" and the most shallow location between Manasquan and Absecon Inlets is between the Point Pleasant Canal and the Mantoloking Bridge with an area of soft mud at 4'6". Six feet of draft can be taken from Absecon Inlet to Barnegat Bay, but I would agree as Dave (Chef2sail) stated that the passage is often narrow with shoals and swift currents. There is much skill involved in ICW passages without grounding. When my wife and I first navigated the entire Atlantic ICW in 1972 we ran aground thirteen times. Now that we've completed 21 passages of the ICW we very rarely come close to grounding.

[chef2sail]

I kept my first keelboat in Dillons Creek Marina in Toms River and we frequently took her to AC traversing the ICW from Barnegat Bat to Atlantic City. We took it a few years ago due to 35 knott winds NE on the ocean side and we were anchored in Meyers Hole behind the Barnegat lighthouse close to the Barnegat Inlet. The I let had 13 rollers with major whitewater. We tried to take 22 miles off the trip byp doing the I CW down to AC since I thought from my years of past experience it would be ok except for the one NEexposure when crossing behind Little Egg Harbor Inlet. WRONG. Ran aground a dozen times even though we were the only boat most of the Imelda out. The winds shoved us around in the narrow channels. It's a tough way to go. Local knowledge not withstanding

Dave